I'm not blind! But the highlight for me was the clever parody of pen and paper role players in the secluded hut towards the end of the game.

Not all the humour works, but there are quite a few instances that really appealed to me: the arrogant young prince practising with his sword and yelling 'Die lower-class scum!' And the member of the Insane Society who had taken a vow of deafness and who, if you write HELLO on your note pad, replies: There's no need to shout. (And we all know which magazines they work for.) A few laughs Personally, I do enjoy this type of challenge and I particularly like the references to other games, the gentle parody of the games industry and the not so sly digs at computer game reviewers. Of course, it does help if you can still remember some of the fairy tales from your childhood. The puzzles, on the whole, aren't too difficult to work out, it's just that they tend to be a little convoluted and getting from A to B may require a detour via XYZ. It is one of those games where you can really use your imagination and ingenuity to overcome the many obstacles that are placed in your path. Simon the Sorcerer II is not quite so deviously constructed as the first, but it is still a lot of fun. Be prepared to be thwarted time and again even as your goal is seemingly achieved. Delightfully, the elusive Mucusade provides a worthy quest and you will need lots of stamina and perseverance on this journey. So, your task, as Simon, is simply to go and get it. And all the Mucusade is securely locked away in the royal treasury. The old fossil, er, sorry, the kindly wizard of mature years patiently explains to Simon that in order to return him home the wardrobe will need its power source recharging with Mucusade. Fortunately, Sordid's scheme goes awry and the wardrobe pops up outside the shop of our old friend Calypso. To that end he causes a wardrobe to materialise in Simon's bedroom which promptly whisks the reluctant adventurer back to the land of wizards, goblins and swamplings. In this game the introduction shows how the evil wizard Sordid, vanquished at the end of the previous game, returns from the dead and plots to gain his revenge on our hero.

For his long-term happiness, though, he will certainly need to work on improving his attitude towards women. But then, he is entering that difficult adolescent phase and hopefully he will grow out of it. Simon is slightly older, but alas, not much wiser and his 'attitude' seems, if anything, to have become worse with a fair sprinkling of sullen insults and put-downs. It was good to return to this sort of adventure where there are lots of things to do and plenty of clues to follow and one or two red herrings thrown in for good measure. Review by Gordon Aplin (November, 1995) I must admit to thoroughly enjoying the first Simon the Sorcerer game despite Simon's 'attitude' and so I was eagerly awaiting the sequel, and I am pleased to say that I have not been disappointed.

Simon the sorcerer